We identify assets, ownership structures, and related parties outside Russia. We help clients understand where assets are located, through which jurisdictions they are controlled, and how the resulting intelligence can be used in negotiations, litigation strategy, and enforcement.

Cross-Border Investigations & Asset Tracing

Cross-border investigations and asset tracing are among the core areas of our practice. We handle matters involving the identification of assets, ownership structures, business connections, and other holdings outside Russia — including in the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Middle East, East and Southeast Asia, as well as offshore and other foreign jurisdictions.

This service is particularly relevant where it is necessary to determine whether a subject holds assets abroad, which jurisdictions merit closer attention, and through which companies, nominees, or affiliated structures ownership and control may be exercised.

In cross-border matters, we combine analytical work based on open sources, corporate and court registries, and international commercial information resources, and where necessary, the capabilities of trusted local partners in the relevant jurisdictions. This allows us to move beyond the identification of isolated assets and build a broader picture of ownership, relationships, and the underlying asset infrastructure.

What Asset Tracing Covers

Depending on the assignment, we identify:

• foreign companies, shareholdings, and corporate affiliations;
• real estate, vehicles, and other high-value assets;
• indications of ownership through offshore or nominee structures;
• litigation, corporate, and commercial traces pointing to the existence of assets;
• related infrastructure, including representatives, business partners, addresses, contact details, and jurisdictions of presence.

When the Service Is Most Relevant

Cross-border asset tracing is particularly valuable:

• before commencing litigation or enforcement proceedings;
• when preparing for negotiations with a debtor;
• in corporate conflicts and shareholder or partnership disputes;
• when tracing assets moved abroad;
• where it is important to assess in advance the realistic prospects of enforcing a judgment.

Phase 0: Horizon Scan & Recoverability Assessment

In many cases, cross-border asset tracing is best approached through an initial analytical phase. The purpose of this stage is to assess, within a limited timeframe, whether there are indications of assets abroad, which jurisdictions appear practically relevant, and whether it makes sense to proceed to a deeper phase of investigation.

This format is especially useful when preparing for litigation, debt recovery, negotiations with a debtor, or evaluating the prospects of further legal action.

At the end of this stage, the client receives a preliminary asset map, an overview of relevant jurisdictions, working hypotheses regarding the ownership structure, and recommendations on the appropriate strategy and next phase of work.

Our Approach

Cross-border asset tracing requires not only access to sources, but also a clear understanding of which information has genuine practical value. We do not assess isolated assets in abstraction; we examine the broader structure surrounding them: who controls the asset, through which legal entities it is held, and which jurisdictions and legal regimes are relevant for further action.

Where necessary, we involve local advisers and private investigators in the relevant country. This helps accelerate the verification of information, validate specific elements of the ownership structure, and produce a more accurate picture in complex cross-border matters.

What the Client Receives

At the conclusion of the assignment, the client receives an analytical report setting out:

• identified assets and indications of ownership;
• related companies and individuals;
• jurisdictions relevant to further action;
• practical conclusions for negotiation, litigation, or enforcement strategy.

Depending on the matter, the result may be used for the preliminary assessment of a dispute, the preparation of a legal position, negotiations with a debtor, coordination with foreign counsel, or the further development of the investigation.

Cross-border asset tracing is valuable not as an end in itself, but as a decision-making tool. In some cases, it helps determine whether litigation and enforcement make economic sense. In others, it strengthens the client’s negotiating position, clarifies the true scale of the subject’s assets, and identifies the jurisdictions in which further action is likely to be most effective.

For this reason, we do not treat cross-border investigations as a formal search for information abroad, but as part of the client’s broader analytical and legal strategy.